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Waltham Abbey, Essex, England: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waltham_Abbey,_Essex_-_geograph.org.uk_-_311778.jpgAuthor: Christine Matthews
Waltham Abbey is a market town in Epping Forest district, on the western extreme of Essex, England. It lies on the Greenwich Meridian, between the River Lea to the west and Epping Forest to the east. The town is 24 km to the north of London. It has a population of 20,000 people (2012 estimate).
Waltham Abbey is across the River Lea from Hertfordshire. It was named after the ancient parish of Waltham Holy Cross, but has been known as Waltham Abbey since the 16th century, though the use of either names often appear to interchange.
The written history of Waltham Abbey dates back to the 11th century, when Tovi, the standard-berer of King Canute, founded a church to house a miraculous cross discovered at Montacute in Somerset. The church was rebuilt in stone by King Harold in 1060.
According to legend, after King Harold died in the Battle of Hastings in 1066, his body was brought to Waltham, where it was buried near the High Altar. In 1177, King Henry II refounded the church that Harold built, as part of his penance for the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Cornmill Stream, Waltham Abbey: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cornmill_Stream_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1030423.jpgAuthor: Richard Croft
Visiting Waltham Abbey
Coming from London, take the M11 motorway until Exit 6, where you continue west on the M25 motorway. Take Exit 26 on the M25 and then heading west on Honey Lane to reach Waltham Abbey.Places of Interest in Waltham Abbey
- Epping Forest District Museum: Museum providing information on the district history, and of the people who lived there.
- The Welsh Harp: Half-timbered in at the Market Square. it dates to the 15th century.
- Waltham Abbey Church: The former abbey that gave the town its name, this is today a parish church.
- Waltham Abbey Town Hall: Built in 1904, this is a fine example of an Art Nouveau civic building.
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Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.
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